MLK's Humanity of Man

The founder of the Brandywine Workshop, Allan Edmunds has expanded the limits of printmaking by combining traditional processes with new technologies. He first explored the potential of offset lithography in 1981 with printmaker John E. Dowell, Jr. To create an offset lithograph, artists separate the colors of their imagery onto sheets of mylar with inked brushes, waxed pencils, pens, or spray paint. They then transfer their imagery onto a metal plate through a light-sensitive process. Next, they roll the plate onto a rubber cylinder, which applies their imagery onto a flat surface in its original orientation. Through explorations of the physical properties of these materials, Edmunds and Dowell discovered offset lithography’s unique capacity for the precise registration of forms, retention of fine lines, and subtle tonal gradations. In MLK’s Humanity of Man, Edmunds combines this process with screenprinting, stenciling, and collage to capture the compassion of the Civil Rights leader.